I’m just back from a week away up north not far from Dornoch. Those that know me will know I keep harping on about how beautifully relaxing the countryside is up there – wonderful beaches and amazing landscapes. Anyway, a week of doing nothing seems to have recharged the batteries, however I did make a decision (followed by an action) whilst away that will hopefully change the future direction of my life.

Now lets run the clock back to 1986. I’m not sure about yourselves, but I was a young and stupid teenager looking for every opportunity to look cool and be noticed by the fairer sex. To help me in this endeavour, I started smoking. It never got me anywhere with those that we don’t understand, but it did put me on the path of over 20 years of being a smoker.

It has never really bothered me that much being a smoker. I smoked. Simple. I never felt guilty and I never worried about how much it was costing me (I smoke roll-ups costing me about £30 every 6 weeks). I realised that my sense of smell had disappeared and my sense of taste was reduced, but I carried on anyway. I saw my mum stop smoking over 10 years ago and still carried on. However recently my 10 year old daughter has been hassling like crazy for her mum and myself to pack them in.

I have tried a few times before, but with nothing spurring me on, I always failed. I eventually spoke to my GP a few weeks ago who decided to put me on Champix. Now these pills apparently affect the receptors in my brain meaning I neither crave a cig, nor do I enjoy it. I am meant to continued smoking whilst on the starter pack and will stop smoking of my own accord somewhere down the 12 week course.

So the outcome of this ramble is that I am now on Champix and attempting to stop smoking. I haven’t managed it yet but I have managed to cut down from approximately 15 a day to around 5.